Fiddlesticks paced around the room in an endless round, muttering to himself. The burlap sack that was the scarecrow's head faced down towards the floor, his glowing blue ethereal eyes narrowed in contemplation. His thin wooden arms clasped behind his back, with his scythe held between them. A crow sat on either shoulder, holding an endless vigil over the nearly silent room.
He glanced at the clock: 10:00pm. The party was supposed to have started an hour ago! Fiddlesticks felt his temper rising. Just like every year before, not a single invitee had shown up. Every year, he set up the easternmost Summoning chamber for his birthday party. And every year, no one, not even a single minion, showed up. His anger reached a boiling point, and he began shouting his frustrations to the heavens.
Meanwhile, in an alternate dimension:
A pink pony with a poofy pink mane and tail bolted upright in bed, ears erect and listening.
"Oh no! My Pinkie Sense is tingling! Someone is having a bad time at a party! I have to do something!" she exclaimed softly to no one, then ran to her closet and disappeared inside.
Back to Fiddlesticks:
Fiddlesticks was still pacing his same route around the summoning chamber, but at a more furious pace, while vowing vengeance on everyone who hadn't come to his party (basically, everyone). He continued, "I'll make them pay-" but was cut off when the door to a supply closet banged open and out burst a- small pink horse?
Fiddlesticks's confusion rooted him in place for a moment, which was all the time the pink horse-thing needed to scan the room, see everything he had set out for his party, rush up to him, and start talking at hyper speed. "Whoa, what are you? Is this your party? Where's everypony else? Why-" She was cut off by Fiddlesticks shoving a cookie, which he had grabbed from the nearby dessert table, into her mouth.
In the sudden silence, they both took a moment to calm down a bit: Fiddlesticks recovering from the barrage of questions, and Pinkie remembering that she was here for a reason: to help somepony who wasn't having fun. After a moment, Pinkie spoke again, much slower and calmer than before: "Heh, let's try that again. Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie! What's your name?"
"... Fiddlesticks."
Pinkie Pie giggled. "That's a weird name!"
Fiddlesticks felt the last of the shock wear off, and asked indignantly: "What are you doing here, anyway? This is my birthday party, I didn't invite you."
Pinkie looked around, confused. "Well, who did you invite? 'Cuz I don't see anypony. Ooh! Are you playing Hide and Seek? Can I play?" She looked back at Fiddlesticks pleadingly, only to see him hunched over, head down and tears wetting his burlap face.
Before she could ask what was wrong, he broke down sobbing. "No one came! Just like every other year, no one came to my party!"
Now, if there was one thing Pinkie disliked more than not being included in party games, it was someone being sad. When she heard his exclamation, she decided right then that this was what she had come for. She was going to help this weird scarecrow-like person have the Best. Party. EVER.
She trotted slowly up to the sobbing figure and laid a comforting hoof on his wooden knee. "Well, then. It's a good thing I'm here." When he stopped crying long enough to look up questioningly, she struck a heroic pose and proclaimed loudly: "Because I'm Pinkie Pie, Party Mare Extraordinaire! And I'm going to throw you a party soo amazing, no one will want to miss it!"
*sniff* "Really?" Fiddlesticks asked weakly. When Pinkie nodded, he wondered: "But, why?"
"Because, silly, that's what I do! Now go wait outside. You don't want to ruin the surprise, do you?"
Five minutes later:
"Okay, you can come back in!" Fiddlesticks heard Pinkie's muffled shout through the closed door.
So soon? He wondered. What could she have possibly done in so short a time? Doubts aside, he opened the door and stepped into the pitch-black room. And why's it so dark in-
"Surprise!"
Fiddlesticks's head grazed the ceiling, he leapt so high in his surprise. The lights turned on to reveal every single Champion and Summoner in the entire League of Legends standing in the room, which was now decorated with streamers and balloons of every color imaginable, (and some not imaginable).
"Wha- how- HUH?" Was Fiddlesticks's reply to the scene before him. But, I was standing outside the whole time! How did they all get in here? How are they all fitting in here at once?
'Happy Birthday, Fiddlesticks!' Read the banner suspended across the back of the room, above a stage covered in musical equipment, where the League-based all-champion band Pentakill was getting ready to play. Along the right wall there was a long snack table, bearing many different flavors of cupcakes and a large punch bowl. In the center of the room was a dance floor, and off to his left, Fiddlesticks could see a myriad party games set up for the partygoers' enjoyment.
Fiddlesticks stood there in a daze for a few moments before Pinkie bounded up to him, an impossibly large grin spread across her face. "Well? Do you like it?"
"I- I- this- this is amazing..." He turned to look at her. "This is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me..." He was starting to get a little choked up, and he returned to looking around, taking in the view of all the League's Champions and Summoners enjoying themselves, without a hint of animosity. Jarvan IV was chatting it up with Swain over by the punch bowl; as Fiddlesticks watched they both broke out in friendly laughter at a joke Jarvan had made. Soraka and Warwick, never seen in the same place for very long outside of League matches, were dancing together; not a hint of fear on Soraka's face, nor a hint of malicious intent on Warwick's. Garen and Katarina were making out in a corner, not caring who was watching. Riven and Singed played Pin the Tail on the Hecarim, and Heimerdinger and Rumble swapped design ideas. It was an impossible circumstance, yet here it was, right before his eyes.
"Well, don't just stand there," came the party mare's voice from his side, startling him back to reality, "go enjoy yourself! It's your party, after all."
With that said, Pinkie watched in satisfaction as Fiddlesticks wandered off into the party, receiving many a 'happy birthday' from his fellow champions. Wait 'til the girls hear about this one! She thought. Taking one last look around to ensure that everything was going well, Pinkie slipped back into the supply closet...
And back out her own bedroom closet. Satisfied in a job well done, Pinkie slid into bed, resolving to tell the others about her adventure in the morning. After all, it wasn't everyday that one made friends with someone from another dimension. More like, every few days, she thought as she drifted off to sleep...
Among the bright, multicolored bubbles of light, sound, and feeling that represented the dreams of the ponies of Equestria, a dark blue Alicorn drifted around. Her star-filled, ethereal mane flowed about her as she peered into the dreams surrounding her.
Princess Luna was performing her nightly duty of policing the dreams of her subjects. It was her duty to ensure that all was peaceful and calm, banishing nightmares whenever they occurred to allow her little ponies a good night's rest. Despite her hoof in things being completely unknown to the common pony, Princess Luna found it all worthwhile just to be able to see her subjects happy during her night.
This night was a night just like any other. The few scary monsters and dark forests that popped up here and there were easily transformed into cute puppies and sunny fields with but a flicker of thought and magic. As she was wont to do, she had saved the dreamers of Ponyville for last, ensuring that she had all the time she could need to visit with Twilight Sparkle and the other ponies she called friends.
As she finally approached her last stop for the night, the dream of Twilight herself, she perceived that something was wrong. Instead of the usual bright, rainbow colors, Twilight's dream bubble was a mixture of dark grey and blood red. Emanating from the bubble were the screams of a pony frightened out of her mind, and a feeling of pure terror.
Never before had Luna seen such a nightmare. She abandoned her casual drifting through the dreamscape in favor of speedy flight, arriving at the dream bubble in mere moments. Peering through the cloudy bubble's surface, she took a moment to observe the nightmare, needing to know exactly what she was dealing with.
A lavender Unicorn mare galloped through the dark mists as fast as she could, glancing back over her shoulder repeatedly, as though checking for signs of a pursuer. Eventually, she slowed to a stop, panting and looking around with fear in her lavender eyes. She brushed a few strands of her pink-streaked, purple mane out of her face as her racing heart continued to pound, despite the fact that she was no longer sprinting. She appeared quite winded, and seemed to have only stopped to catch her breath.
Princess Luna frowned in confusion. Clearly, Twilight was frightened, but of what? Surely she had to be running from something; perhaps Discord, or a Changeling, or even a failed exam! Ponies simply did not run in blind fear, without a definite target to run from! Seeking some kind of explanation, Luna slipped into the bubble, entering the dream.
Twilight turned every which way, ears twitching as she searched for some kind of movement in the dark. She was unaware of the Night Princess beside her, for Luna's magic hid her from dreamers until she chose to reveal herself. Suddenly, Twilight whipped around, staring fearfully at a specific patch of darkness. Luna was quite confused for a moment, until she, too, noticed the difference. A large patch of darkness, about as tall and wide as Luna herself, was creeping forward. Once it had approached close enough to be distinguished, Twilight began curling up into a fetal position, whimpering.
Luna studied the object of her friend's terror: it stood upright, with its chest and shoulders covered with armor as black as fear itself. It also sported red, curved blades attached to the outer edge of its arms, which ended in hands that each had five wicked claws. Its lower body consisted of a tail of shadow that hung from the bottom of the armor, hovering below and behind the main body of the creature. Its head was a small cloud of shadow that stuck up out of the top of its armored breastplate, with a face that was little more than a black void with two almost triangular holes that leaked an eerie, pale light.
Its physical appearance alone was quite unsettling, even to the hardened Night Princess herself, but that paled in comparison to the fear-inducing aura that seemed to flow from the shadow creature; as if it were composed of the combined essence of every single thing that had ever scared a living creature
Well, Luna thought, That's quite enough of that. Her horn lit up with a dark blue glow and her eyes closed in concentration as her magic altered the dream, changing the nightmare as she had all the others before. Her horn ceased its glowing at the completion of the spell, and she opened her eyes to see-
Everything exactly the same as before, except for the fact that the shadow creature's ghostly gaze was no longer centered on Twilight, but on Luna.
Her mind took a moment to confirm that it was, in fact, seeing what it thought it was seeing. It then began whirling through a thousand questions at once, before settling on the two that were most important at the moment. Why didn't the spell change the dream? And how is it looking right at me!? While she had, on extremely rare occasions, failed to change dreams in the past, the fact remained that no part of any dream should have been able to detect her presence unless she allowed it to.
Before she could even attempt to come up with a reasonable explanation for what should be entirely impossible, she heard a voice. A deep, echoing voice that sent shivers down her spine. "Dreamwalker..." Next to her, Luna noticed Twilight attempting the impossible task of curling up into an even smaller ball, trying to hide herself.
Shaking off the momentary loss of composure that had come from her failed spell and the creature’s voice, Luna stepped forward boldly, standing between the nightmarish creature and the frightened Twilight. "I know not what thou art, creature," Luna declared, lowering her head to point her horn directly at the shadow, "but I will not allow you to continue frightening my friend."
At this, the creature halted its creeping advance. A tense silence ensued as the two stared at each other, only to be broken at the shadow's response. Adopting a more threatening stance, it spoke: "I don't care if you allow it, Dreamwalker. Her kind imprisoned me for years, and they will all die."
"Imprisoned you? Nothing like you has ever been seen in Equestria! How could Twilight have done you any harm, creature?" Luna was surprised at its claim, and even more so at the ease with which it had proclaimed its death sentence on those that had 'imprisoned' it.
"Magicians are all the same," the shadow retorted, "and will all share the same fate." The creature lowered itself into a fighting position, blades at the ready.
"If you wish to harm any of my little ponies, then you will have to go through me, first," she declared, horn lighting up as she pawed at the ground.
"Gladly," came the dark reply, underlaid with a grim chuckle.
Several tense moments passed as they studied one another, looking for weaknesses. Luna's cold, calculating glare was distracted, however, by a whimper coming from the lavender Unicorn still curled up behind her, eyes shut tight as she willed the nightmare away.
This was the distraction that the shadow creature needed, and Luna turned back around in time to wince before a clawed hand of pure shadow struck her, passing through her and dissipating.
When she opened her eyes again, the creature was considerably closer to her, moving rapidly across a trail of darkness left by the ghost hand. It was upon her in seconds, and she leaped to the side to avoid its downward strike.
Turning back, Luna fired off a volley of weak magic bolts, trying to put the creature on the defensive. Instead of blocking or dodging the bolts, it spun quickly in a circle, blades held out for a horizontal slash that struck the bolts and caused them to dissipate harmlessly.
Luna continued her rapid-fire assault, but the shadow dodged and weaved through the hail of bolts, slicing through those that it could not dodge until it was practically right on top of her. Instead of attacking her with its blades, however, the creature extended both of its arms towards her, red tendrils of energy shooting out towards Luna's head. They connected, and she felt her strength draining. Then, Luna saw the dream begin to fade away...
She stood in a large, stone room with a vaulted cieling. The full moon was visible through the stained-glass window off to her left, which depicted her and her sister's victory over the draconequus Discord. Behind her were two large and intricately carved doors, standing opposite two magestic thrones, one a bright white marble, the other a black obsidian. And there, lying on her side right in front of her, struggling to breathe with her broken ribs and wincing as every movement wracked her broken body with pain, was her sister, Celestia. Her normally pristine white coat was covered in dirt and speckled with blood. No, Luna thought, looking upon her beaten sister. Celestia's usual calm and even expression was gone, replaced with a clear sense of betrayal, her pleading eyes pointed straight at Luna herself, begging for mercy that would not come from the dark Alicorn. No, it cannot be. This is not right!
Then, Luna heard a voice, one issuing forth from her own mouth. But, it was not her voice. At least, not anymore. "Dost thou see it now, Celestia?" spoke Nightmare Moon. "Thou art weak, and undeserving of the love and praise of our subjects."
Celestia, clearly on her last vestiges of strength, raised her head ever so slightly from the ground. At first, the only sounds she made were pants and soft groans, but then, with clear difficulty, she spoke: "Luna... Sister, please... Cease this madness..."
Scoffing at Celestia's plea, Nightmare Moon lowered her head, horn glowing as she prepared to finish the Princess of the Sun. "There is no more Luna," she said softly, drawing closer as she spoke. "There is only Nightmare Moon. And from this moment on, Dear Sister, the night... Will last..." She was right by Celestia's face, now. She leaned in, and whispered one last word in the defeated Princess's ear: "Forever." Drawing back, her horn flared up as she charged one final blast, one which would end her sister and secure for herself all the love and adoration of her subjects, provided a bit of time for them to get used to the dark, of course.
NO! Luna's mind screamed. This is not right! This is not what happened! NOOOO!!!
A flash of dark magic, which seemed to suck all light out of the room, was ignored by the internally weeping Luna, who was too distraught at what she had witnessed to pay any attention to her surroundings.
Luna felt the sting of a blade slicing into her side, and she jerked away from it, wheeling around to face the shadow creature, whose blades now carried a dark red sheen along the edges. Looking around in confusion, she found herself back in the dark world of Twilight's nightmare. Wha- What? But I was just- and Nightmare Moon! And Celestia! It- it was all an illusion! A nightmare within a nightmare! This was that creature's doing! She focused her glare on the shadow, but was forced to quickly dodge to the side once more as it brought its right blade towards her in an uppercut.
As she leapt, she bacame painfully aware of the wounds that had been inflicted upon her during her hallucination. Several large gashes adorned her body, making movement a strenuous activity at best. She nearly collapsed as a wave of pain washed over her, but she blocked it out and fired a light spell at the shadow, hoping to find some way to harm it. The creature raised its arms, crossing them in front of its chest in a defensive pose, before it became shrouded in darkness so thick, it seemed tangible. The light struck the shadow cloak, which dissipated to reveal the creature, completely unharmed by the spell.
Immediately, it charged her once again, lashing out with greater speed than ever before. Though Luna dodged many of its quick slashes, she also took a few more blows: cuts of various sizes now covered her body in many different places.
Narrowly dodging a diagonal strike intended for her neck, Luna quickly charged up her magic and teleported a short distance away, hoping for a moment to catch her breath and come up with a plan. Unfortunately, the now opposition-free creature had other plans. "Do you see now, Dreamwalker? You are no match for me. Nothing can stop the revenge of the Eternal Nightmare." Dismissing Luna as defeated, the shadow turned back to the reason it was in this dream to begin with: the little lavender ball of fur, flesh, and magic that cowered in the darkness, a fair distance from where the fight had ended up.
At the words of the self-proclamed Eternal Nightmare, something stirred deep within Princess Luna. "Nightmare," she whispered. And she remembered. Jealousy. Anger. The fear in the gazes of the few little ponies brave enough to make eye contact with the black Alicorn. And, worst of all, the perverse pleasure she felt as she saw her own sister in pain. Celestia, gazing up at her, utterly defeated, with nothing left but a silent plea for mercy. No more, Luna's closed eyes snapped open, the fire of determination rekindled within her. No more pain. No more suffering. No more Nightmares.
Luna teleported to stand once more between Twilight and the Nightmare. "Match or no match," she proclaimed forcefully, "you still have to go through me, first!"
"You fleshbags never learn..." Luna could almost see the cruel, twisted smile that would have adorned the Nightmare's face, had it had a mouth. "Just the way I like it..."
"Darkness..." The word, though clearly in the shadow creature's voice, had no discernible source: it was as though it had come from both everywhere and nowhere at once. At the same time, Luna found that she could no longer see further than maybe six feet in any direction through the impenetrable darkness that suddenly consumed the dream.
Wary of an ambush in the sudden dark, Luna began pulling up a shield around herself and Twilight, but was unable to complete it before the creature slammed into her, sending her flying back and leaving her sprawled out on the ground. Light returned to the dream world, and Luna saw the Nightmare turn back towards Twilight, blades raised as it moved in for the kill.
The lavender Unicorn had not budged an inch since the fight had started, but now slowly uncurled from her fetal position, staring up at the face of her doom with tears in her helpless eyes. There was nothing that could stop this monster from utterly destroying her consciousness, leaving nothing but a madmare for the waking world to see.
Nothing, that is, except for the dark blue horn that suddenly spouted from the Nightmare's chest. Behind the shadow's back, Luna stood on shaky legs as she impaled the creature. "We..." Luna was panting with the difficulty of moving. "We are not finished... You and I... Have a score... To settle..."
The creature's body dissipated into whisps of smoky shadow, which rushed away to reform it a short distance behind Luna. "As much as I enjoy it when the fleshbags try to fight back, this is becoming rather irritating. Let's end this quickly so I can move on to the next worthless magician, already."
It was clearly quite annoyed at the constant distractions from its goal, so much so that it failed to notice Luna's horn glowing as she charged a spell. It lunged forward and swung at the motionless Alicorn with both blades, only to have its target dissipate into pure moonlight just before it struck. Wheeling about, it spotted Luna, standing behind it a fair distance with her horn pointing right at him. A ghostly shadow hand erupted from the creature and flew towards Luna, who once again dissipated just before impact. Then, it saw two Lunas, both standing to his left in identical positions, heads lowered, glowing horns pointed and death-glares at full blast. It leapt at them, spinning around with blades outstretched to strike both Lunas, who both dissipated once more. Frustrated, the shadow lashed out at nothing, blades whizzing through the air. Whipping around, it scanned the darkness for its prey. "Come out, come out wherever you are, Dreamwalker... We haven't got all night, you know..."
Just then, a powerful blast of magic struck the creature from behind, sending it flying forward before landing hard on the ground. "As you wish, Nightmare." Luna said cooly, standing over the creature with her head held high, looking down on it with pure antipathy. She had managed to throw in a healing spell during her little illusion trick, and was once again standing tall and regal.
The creature was quick to rise, and dashed at Luna, swinging both blades at her head in a downward strike. Luna dodge-rolled to her left, taking advantage of the shadow's dropped guard to hit it in the face with a quick magic blast. It retaliated by again forming the red tendrils of pure nightmare in its palms, but they were deflected by a quick spell shield from Luna.
Backing away after its failed attack, the Nightmare tried to flank the Night Princess, only to catch a hoof to the face for its troubles. The blow knocked it back, perhaps a bit farther than it should have. It was an indicator of just how much punishment it had taken that it was struggling to rise again.
Luna approached the downed Nightmare, not even the tiniest bit of pity showing in her eyes as she studied her friend's former tormentor. Wordlessly, she began charging the nightmare-dispelling spell that had failed her earlier. She knew that even the "Eternal Nightmare" was in no condition to resit it.
The shadow's face lifted, its pale, ghostly eyes making contact with her merciless gaze. It seemed to accept its fate, but had one last thing to say. Dropping its gaze, it spoke weakly: "You may have won this time, Dreamwalker, but this is not the last you will see of Nocturne," locking eyes with her once more, it gave its parting words into a bright flash of light, the rushing sound of the spell drowning them out to all but itself and Luna.
Princess Luna stood by Twilight Sparkle's bedside, silently watching over her as she slept. The Nightmare, which had called itself Nocturne, had been driven out of her dream and had not returned. Princess Luna confirmed this fact one last time as the Sun began to peek through the window behind her, before turning around, unfurling her wings, and taking off through said window, heading back to Canterlot to sleep the day away.
The single most important Unicorn in all of Equestria trotted down the busy streets of Canterlot, his muzzle held high. His bright white coat and carefully maintained blonde mane shone in the late morning sun. Canterlot's morning traffic might have proven difficult to navigate for most any pony, but he was not "most any pony." He was Prince Blueblood, and the peasants made way for him when he approached, as they should.
He was on his way to a brunch with some lesser nobles, and was in an exceptionally good mood. Closing his eyes briefly, he marveled at how well his day was already going. Nothing, he thought, could possibly ruin this day.
In the same moment that he finished this thought, he ran muzzle-first into something metal. "Excuse me," apologized a deep voice from a couple of feet above him. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
Blueblood stumbled backward a few steps before catching himself, turning back to glare at his offender. What he saw was a tall, bipedal being clad from head to toe in golden armor. Its build was much like an upright ape, though the only exposed part of its body, its face, was hairless. The biped's helm resembled a crown, and it carried a long, bulky lance. Behind it stood another tall biped, this one in blue and gold armor, though without a helm, leaving its short brown hair exposed. It carried a sword that was almost as tall as itself. Both were clearly male, if their large, muscled builds and the deep voice were anything to judge by.
Together, the two creatures struck an imposing figure, but that would not deter the humiliated Prince. Indignantly, he shouted: "How dare you touch me! Do you know who I am?"
All around them in the streets, heads turned. Ponies who, mere moments ago, had been too busy to stop for anything now stood stock-still, watching the unfolding scene. The bipeds, quite taken aback at the outburst, stood unmoving. However, after a moment, the gold-clad one calmly responded, "I'm afraid I don't know who you are, you see-"
"WHAT!?" Blueblood interrupted. "How could you possibly not know of me? I am Prince Blueblood! Nephew to Princess Celestia herself!" Blueblood's shout attracted the attention of even more ponies, as the crowd seemed to converge around them.
At the sound of the Princess's name, recognition dawned on the bipeds' faces. "Princess Celestia!" The gold-clad one exclaimed. "Why, we were just on our way to attend a meeting with her shortly, so perhaps we could-"
Once again, Blueblood cut the biped's sentence short. "And why would Princess Celestia hold a meeting with you, anyway? What makes you so important, hmm?"
Unnoticed by Blueblood, the blue-and-gold clad biped had been growing angrier with Blueblood's every rude interruption. At those final words, his patience snapped. Stepping forward furiously, he replied forcefully, "This is Prince Jarvan Lightshield the Fourth of Demacia, and it would behoove you to speak to him more respectfully, Prince Blueblood." The last two words were laced with an almost imperceptible hint of disgust, which was just enough for Jarvan to detect it.
"Enough, Garen," he commanded, ignoring the rising murmurs from their ever-growing audience. "Our goal is diplomacy with the Equestrian nation. We can't well achieve that if we go picking fights with the nobles." Narrowing his eyes at Blueblood, the human prince dropped his voice as he continued, "no matter how much we may want to."
Upon learning these bits of information, most any pony would have apologized, backed off, and maybe even offered to start anew. However, as he was about to prove once again, Prince Blueblood was not "most any pony." He spent but a moment making plans and calculating outcomes. Then, stepping forward and pointing his horn at the Prince's face in an offensive gesture, he asked in a low voice, "Was that a threat, biped?"
Jarvan stared down at the pompous prince for a long moment before narrowing his eyes and dropping his own voice. "I get the feeling," he intoned, "that you will take it as one either way."
"Of course I will," Blueblood spoke very cooly and evenly, a testament to his seriousness. "And I'm sure even you bipeds can understand that there are serious repercussions to threatening a prince in his own country." He flashed Jarvan a grin that could almost be described as diabolical, then put on a frightened façade as he stumbled backward in a very undignified manner, calling for guards at the top of his voice.
The response was immediate, minor pandemonium breaking out as ponies close to the action tried to back away, and a group of five white stallions in golden armor pushed through the wall of bodies right behind Blueblood, circling him and casting calculating glances at the stunned bipeds. One of the guards, a Unicorn with a blue mane and tail, removed his helmet and kneeled down to be level with the cowering prince. "Prince Blueblood. Are you alright?"
Blueblood raised his head to look around him. Two Earth Ponies, two Pegasi, and a Unicorn. They would do. Looking back to the a Unicorn that had addressed him, he received quite a surprise when he realized that it was none other than Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. Suddenly, his plan was going to be so much easier. "Captain Armor!" he exclaimed. "You are just in time!" Pointing a hoof at the armored bipeds, he put his plan in motion. "These... These creatures have threatened me!"
Glancing back over his shoulder at Jarvan and Garen, he quickly studied them, taking in their armor and weapons, and especially the clear shock on their faces. Let it never be said that the Captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard is stupid. He put two and two together and came up with another one of Blueblood's tricks. Turning back to the fallen prince, he played along. "Is that so?"
"Yes, Captain Armor. They threatened to attack me!"
Jarvan took a step forward, raising his hands in a pacifying gesture. "Now hold on a minute. I admit I was-"
Shining held up a hoof, silently interrupting the biped. "I don't want to hear any excuses right now." Glancing at his fellow guards in a wordless signal, he turned around to face the bipeds properly. "Now, who are you, and why are you here?"
Jarvan and Garen glanced at one another with a hint of resignation, then turned back to answer the question. "I am Jarvan Lightshield the Fourth, Prince of Demacia and Champion of the League of Legends. I came to Equestria at the request of your Princess Celestia. This is the Captain of my Royal Guard and my longtime friend, Garen," the swordsman nodded in greeting. "We were on our way to meet with Celestia when we were accosted by Prince Blueblood, who has done nothing but insult us since.
"I admit that I was in the wrong when I spoke a vague threat to him, and am willing to make whatever recompense is necessary to appease your laws."
"I see," Shining put on a thoughtful expression. "I don't know about where you come from, but our laws on this subject are pretty simple, if rather old," moving to stand off to the side and facing both Jarvan and Blueblood, he elaborated. "According to the Equestrian Laws of Nobility, section eight, subsection D, paragraph five: 'Any member of nobility who feels threatened or offended by the words or actions of another of equal or greater rank may demand satisfaction in the form of a duel, to be held within the hour." This should knock Blueblood down a few notches. About time, too.
Blueblood's fearful façade suddenly became quite genuine. "A- a duel!? Surely you jest, Captain! Duels were outlawed over a century ago!" He felt relief wash over him, and gave a short, nervous laugh. As everyone around him continued to simply stare at him in silence, his laughter caught in his throat, and fear seized his expression once more. "Right?"
Carefully masking his inner glee at the prospect of Blueblood being put in his place for once, and noticing his guards attempting to do the same, Shining shook his head, nearly losing his composure as the prince's face fell. "From the general public, yes. However, the nobility's dueling laws were never removed. I would know, I had to memorize all of Equestria's laws concerning civil disputes when I became Captain." He was unable to stop the hint of pride that slipped into his tone at that last statement.
Facing Jarvan, Shining addressed him. "Blueblood has clearly issued a demand for satisfaction, and you claim to be willing to meet it." Seeing Jarvan's somewhat hesitant nod, he turned to his guards and began issuing orders. "Private Sky, Private Feather, fly back to the Guard training grounds and get the field set up. Privates Shield and Sword, accompany Prince Jarvan and Captain Garen to the grounds. I'll take care of Blueblood."
As Shining dished out orders, the guards rushed to fulfill them. The two Pegasus guards took to the air, while the two Earth Pony guards approached Jarvan and Garen, then began leading them through the city, the crowd parting as they passed. During it all, Prince Blueblood just sat there agape, mind working furiously to try to figure out exactly how his brilliant plan had been so completely, utterly ruined.
Less than half an hour later, a ring of off-duty guards milled about on the training field in the middle of the Guard's facilities. One group of guards was arguing with another, and many bits changed hooves as bets were made.
Standing opposite each other just inside a marked-off section of the field, Prince Jarvan IV and Prince Blueblood were wielding their weapons of choice. Jarvan gripped his lance tightly, and Blueblood held a bow in his magic, with a quiver of arrows and a broadsword strapped to his back.
Just outside the marked off area, halfway between the combatants and on Blueblood's left, Shining Armor stood as the official witness to the duel. Confirming that everything was ready with a nod of his head, he called his restless audience to attention. "Fillies and Gentlecolts!" He shouted over the crowd, quickly and effectively hushing their conversations. "We are here today as witnesses to a duel between Prince Blueblood of Equestria and Prince Jarvan the Fourth of Demacia. This duel's purpose is to settle a matter of honor between the two.
"As law and tradition dictate, each combatant has been allowed to select their own weapons of choice. There are but a few rules to be adhered to during this duel. First, no spells may be cast during the duel, excepting simple levitation to hold and use one's weapons. All weapons to be used in the duel have been magically dulled to prevent serious injury, and any intentional effort to land a potentially lethal blow will be counted as a forfeiting of the duel. Finally, the combatants will fight until one surrenders or is incapable of fighting. These are the terms of the duel. Are they acceptable to the the two of you?" Turning to Jarvan, and then to Blueblood, he received the required nod of consent from both. "Then let the duel-" he reared up on his hind legs for effect, then roared at the top of his voice as his forelegs stomped into the earth, his own voice barely audible over the resulting din as the audience began to cheer, "BEGIN!"
Locking eyes with his opponent, Blueblood began to slowly circle to the right, just as Jarvan did the same. The two princes sized each other up, mentally calculating. If there was one thing that was not commonly known about Blueblood, it was that he was not the helpless and weak little brat that many ponies assumed he was. In fact, he was a well-trained, combat-ready, surprisingly big and strong brat.
It went on like that for a good minute, and everypony watching was starting to get bored. Both duelists were waiting for the other to make the first move, which was only making Blueblood more and more nervous as time went on. This is going nowhere fast, he realized. I need to end this quickly if I'm to win, since I know almost nothing about this Prince Jarvan. With that in mind, he took a deep breath, then quickly drew back his bow and fired, nocking another arrow before the first had even reached its target and repeating the action a few more times.
Had Jarvan not been a seasoned warrior of the warfront, he probably wouldn't have been able to react to the rapid-fire arrows directed at him. He would have been pincushioned in a matter of seconds by real arrows, or at least given nasty bruises by the magically dulled ones. Instead, he whipped his lance back and forth like a staff, deflecting all but a couple of the incoming missiles, his armor blocking the rest. Noticing a break in his opponent's fire, Jarvan set himself up for an attack of his own. Seizing the blue and gold Demacian flag that he carried with him at all times, he detached it from its normal place in his armor and hurled it up into the air.
Blueblood watched the standard fly into the air, realizing almost too late where it would land. Diving forward, he heard and felt the flagpole plant itself into the ground where he had been standing moments before. The crowd released a collective sigh as he picked himself back up off the ground. As he rose, he was unable to keep himself from shooting a glance back at the innocent-looking banner before turning back to his foe.
What he saw was Jarvan's bulky lance, its sharp tip rapidly telescoping towards him. He ducked as fast as he could, feeling the lance part his mane on its way by. As his eyes finally locked on to his opponent again, his adrenaline-filled mind took a few nanoseconds to ponder why the Demacian prince seemed to be getting bigger.
Then it hit him.
Well, more accurately, he hit him.
Jarvan's large body and massive weight slammed into Blueblood at high speed, sending him flying into the air as the Exemplar of Demacia flew to his Demacian Standard, which his telescoping lance had latched onto.
Not even a full second later, gravity realized its mistake and promptly slammed Blueblood back to the ground. He landed hard on his side, eliciting a more than one sympathetic "ouch" from the spectators, and struggled to stand once more, drawing his broadsword as he did so. Expert archer though he might be, the Demacian had already proved his defenses against such a tactic.
At this point, most any pony would have given up, surrendered, and accepted defeat. Most any pony would have gotten out before they could receive further physical harm. Most any pony was not Blueblood, and did not have to uphold the honor of his family name. So long as there was strength in his body, he would stand. No matter how stupid it was to do so.
The two princes faced one another again. In the moment of rest, Blueblood's brain took back control from the instinctual fight-or-flight, and with it returned his attitude. "Is that the best you can do?" He taunted the bipedal prince, "You barely managed to give me a new manestyle!"
Jarvan's response was to smirk. "You wish to see my best, Blueblood?" Gripping his lance tighter, he crouched down a bit and braced himself. "Just remember that I warned you..."
Blueblood was in the middle of a condescending guffaw when Jarvan leaped into the air, swinging his lance overhead and shouting "DEMACIA!" as he descended towards Blueblood. The blonde Unicorn was too stunned to react as the heavily armored biped landed practically on top of him. Whatever happened next would remain a mystery to all but the two of them, as the force of Jarvan's landing created a miniature seismic event, causing the earth in a ring around them to buckle upwards, shielding them from the view of the crowd. All they could do was listen to the sounds of magically blunted weapons striking armor, flesh, and occasionally each other, for nearly a full minute.
In the end, the wall of earth exploded outwards on one side, broken to pieces as a large white projectile went barreling through it, tumbling to a halt several feet away. As the dust settled, the crowd, much of which had scattered away from the wall's explosion, finally recognized the thoroughly beaten form of Blueblood, breathing rather raggedly in light of the many bruises that would soon develop all over him.
As the rest of the earthen arena crumbled around him, Prince Jarvan IV spoke up. "I think I win."
Off to the side, Shining Armor came back to himself at last, and cleared his throat before announcing the duel's official winner to be Prince Jarvan IV. A great number of cheers drowned out the groanings of those few who had bet in Blueblood's favor. Ponies rushed out onto the field to congratulate the winner, swarming about him as a few on-duty guards tried to reduce the chaos on the field.
Dusting himself off, Jarvan pushed his way through the crowd over to where Garen awaited him. "Now, we really must be off. I think we've kept Princess Celestia waiting for long enough."
"Indeed you have." The voice came from just outside the crowd, which immediately parted to make way for the speaker, a large, pure white Alicorn, with a multicolored ethereal mane and a Sun Cutie Mark. Her countenance was stern, until she let a small smile slip through. "Though I was not overly bored while waiting. It is not every day that one gets to witness a duel, after all." Her gaze flicked over to Blueblood, who had not moved much since he had stopped sliding, and she started giving orders. "Captain Armor, Prince Blueblood should be taken to a hospital immediately to check for broken bones," locking eyes with the Captain, she continued. "See to it personally."
Shining Armor saluted, and moved through the chaotic mass of ponies over to Blueblood's side. As Jarvan and Celestia turned to leave, Garen continued to watch. Noticing his guard's pause, Jarvan walked back and put a hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright, Garen?"
Still staring at the Captain and the fallen prince, Garen spoke. "Permission to assist Captain Armor, sir."
Jarvan cast a glance at Celestia, who nodded, and replied, "Permission granted, Garen. Just be back before it is time to depart."
Garen gave quick bows to both Jarvan and Celestia. "By your leave." He then made his way over to Captain Armor and the limp Blueblood, grabbed the blonde Unicorn, and hefted him over his shoulder.
Beside him, Jarvan heard Celestia humm quietly. "It seems that you humans are not only strong, but kind as well."
Jarvan smiled at the compliment, but it quickly turned to a scowl. "Kind we Demacians may be, but not all humans are the same. This, Princess, is why I came to speak with you. I would rather not let the more... Unsavory humans have the first impression on your kind."
Nodding her understanding, Celestia turned to leave, signalling Jarvan to follow. "Come, Prince Jarvan; we have much to discuss."
Lion enemy. Horses not enemy. Horses not be around after fight.
Fight the lion. The lion is not strong enough.
I am stronger. Stronger than the lion. I am a warrior. I knock the lion to the ground. I raise my axe. I sever the lion's tail. No more stinger.
I can feel my memories return. It has been so long since I've thought clearly. Battle is in my blood. Not even death can take that away from me.
I smile. I can remember. I am myself, if only for the moment.
Then I think. The longer I fight, the longer I will remember. The longer I will be who I was. I drop my axe. I will make this last.
The lion roars. It is angry, and it is in pain. It tackles me, and we wrestle. The lion is mad, but I am still stronger. Its claws do not hurt; I feel no pain. We wrestle for a long time. Punching. Clawing. Rolling. It keeps fighting. It claws my face. I throw the lion off of me. It lands hard, and stops moving.
No. Lion not fighting. Fight is over. Mind is slipping. Must keep fighting.
It is ready, Trixie thought with a malicious smirk, surveying the setup before her. The ritual she'd spent the last week preparing would allow her to finally get her revenge upon the wretched Twilight Sparkle and her friends once and for all. A large, flat stone carefully inscribed with a circle of summoning runes was surrounded by a ring of stolen spears, planted in the ground with their tips pointing up and outward. It was surprisingly simple for a summoning, though according to the book she'd swiped from the Canterlot Archives, the being would exact a toll of its own for its services.
Entering the half-ruined wagon that she called home, Trixie retrieved the last pieces of the ritual: a miniature wood carving in the crude shape of an Alicorn, its neck tied in a noose of dark mane-hair, a hammer and three gleaming nails. Thinking for a moment, she removed her traditional magician's hat and cape, hanging them inside the door and leaving herself naked save for the Alicorn Amulet clasped around her neck. Despite what the legends had said the Amulet had thus far proved to be naught but an expensive trinket. She could only hope the same would not prove true of her current plan.
Trixie returned to her ritual circle, placing the effigy in the center of the runic circle, and took hammer and nails in her magic. Trixie took a deep breath, examining her handiwork, and suddenly felt a pang of doubt. How had she come to this? Summoning a being from another world was extremely dangerous, was petty revenge really worth this?
Now! Do it now! a dark voice in her head screamed. Pushing away her doubts, Trixie placed the first nail above the Alicorn effigy's chest.
"I invoke thee, Lady of Vengeance!" Trixie called into the open air, reciting the summons from the book. "From beyond this world, hear my plea! Come forth! Let justice be done!" Steadying her hammer, she continued: "She who wronged me, I name once!" Trixie shouted the name of her vile foe as she swung the hammer, driving the first nail through the wooden Alicorn's chest. She paused afterwards, however; she was sure she'd just heard somepony else, but that was unlikely. The Everfree Forest wasn't exactly a tourist attraction.
Trixie shivered as she felt an unnatural cold pass over her. She heaved a single breath, mist escaping her mouth with her exhale.
Pushing through, she continued the ritual. "I name her twice!" Again she shouted her hated enemy's name to the heavens, and again she heard another voice call out. Whipping her head this way and that, she saw nothing, and felt only the growing cold. As she turned back to her ritual, however, she noticed a tall, dark figure standing silent and still among the trees in front of her.
It is working! the dark voice in her head cheered. Finish it!
"I name her thrice," Trixie no more than whispered, again naming Twilight Sparkle as she rammed the final nail completely through the effigy. She almost managed to hear this time as another voice spoke along with her, but she couldn't make out what it said.
The tall figure stood right in front of her now, black mist coiling around its form. It stood on its two hind legs with its forelegs held beside its body. It wore black armor over its green, spectral skin, and its back was pierced through by a single black spear that protruded out through its breastplate on the other side. Pale blue light emanated from its eyes as it studied her in return, staring silently at – no, through – her, seemingly seeing into her very soul.
After several moments of silence, the Lady of Vengeance spoke. Its tone was hard but vaguely female, and its voice reverberated like an echo. "You who have called us, step forth from your mortal shell."
Trixie just stared in blank confusion until a reddish mist emanated from the Amulet she wore, coalescing into the form of a red-eyed Alicorn that stood beside her. "I am she who called you." the mist spoke in the same dark voice Trixie had heard in her mind several times while working on the ritual.
The Lady's small eyes narrowed, and Trixie would almost swear it growled. "Betrayer," it hissed, "tell us why we should help you, who led another to betray her sister and her nation?"
The misty form of the Nightmare glared right back. "That was her choice, not mine. I merely gave her power, and that was how she chose to use it. It was she who betrayed me upon our return. The Elements could never have separated us if she hadn't helped them to. She stabbed me in the back and left me to take the fall. This is why I seek vengeance upon Luna, Princess of the Night."
Trixie was feeling quite happy about being ignored by these two powerful specters, until the Nightmare gestured at her with a hoof. "I have brought this mortal as payment for your services. She has devoted her life to vengeance, and will serve you well."
Trixie gulped as the Lady of Vengeance looked her over, then slowly shook its head. "She is not fully devoted. Not yet, at least. Doubt still lingers within."
The Nightmare was about to object when the Lady reached for its chest, the digits at the end of its forelegs grasping the black spear and pulling it through. The Lady hefted the weapon of its own demise, then planted it in the ground in front of the Nightmare's shade. "The price is known," the Lady said simply.
Grinning like a schoolyard bully who'd just found her favorite target all alone, the Nightmare grabbed the spear in her ethereal mouth. Pulling it from the ground without a sound, she turned to Trixie. The showmare-turned-sacrifice shook and fell onto her haunches, unable to flee.
The Nightmare raised the spear high, then plunged it towards Trixie's chest. The Unicorn mare's eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the end, but instead her ears were assaulted with an unworldly shriek. Prying open her eyes, the showmare watched as the spear, poised just above her heart, swirled with red mist. The Nightmare shrieked again in apparent agony as her form was pulled into the black spear she held.
"The price is known," the Lady of Vengeance repeated softly, watching the Nightmare fade away. "The soul of the betrayed is the requirement, and neither she nor you qualify."
Trixie sat in silence, the two of them watching one of the most evil beings in Equestria's history be absorbed by the dark weapon. At last, the Nightmare disappeared entirely, and the Lady of Vengeance appeared in a moment to catch the spear before it had dropped an inch. "Deceiver and Betrayer I name thee," the Lady whispered grimly. "The Warden shall make particularly sweet music this night."
The Lady glanced at Trixie, and as they locked eyes for a brief moment Trixie saw through the blue light to the sad eyes of the person the Lady had once been. "Behold, mortal one," the Lady whispered, gesturing to both the black spear it held and to itself, "the price of vengeance."
And with that, the Lady turned and walked away into the trees, black mist coiling around it, obscuring its form until it finally disappeared.
